Caged Birds
by Mable
Summary: An attack by the Beast leads to 7 questioning her position at the Cathedral, and the leader who would seal her fate. What does it take to free oneself from their own cage?
1. Act 1

**Mable: This wasn't originally going to be a chaptered fic, but because of the length I didn't want to post it as a oneshot. So, instead, it's a threeshot. XD This is a long overdue request for Moviegal007; I hope that you Enjoy it, my dearly patient friend!**

 **The story takes place before the events of the film, as you will soon read, so that should answer any immediate questions. Anyway, without any further time, I don't own . Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Caged Birds**_

 _Act 1_

Eventually the gunshots had quieted down outside. There was a relief in it and Seven definitely felt safer without the risk of bullets hitting the Cathedral. She wouldn't miss having to sleep on the floor out of precaution on the bad nights. However, she knew that it was a bad sign for the humans. It was hard to tell, as the only look into the outside world was the few times they scouted and the view from the Watchtower.

Though the Beasts weren't making noise either. Regardless, Six had recently become obsessed with the vision of a beast from his dreams. This vision wasn't taken lightly. One had started to use the picture as a warning of what they 'could' encounter out in the Emptiness. He used it to accentuate his rules on scouting, his reluctance to let the others scout, and basically as a fearmongering tactic. As Eight himself wasn't scary enough alone.

Unfortunately for One, it wasn't as though they could fully cut off the outside world. They needed matches, more thread, extra fabric to make blankets and clothing for the coming winter, and plenty more that would need to be scouted for.

Seven had become the scout to get these items. Mostly because nobody else, except maybe Two, desired to go out. One was fine with the scouting, but strictly limited it. A Stitchpunk would only go out once they were desperate for these supplies, the leader made sure of it. Unlike Seven, Five and Six were both scared of the Emptiness. It was understandable; Five's accident left him reluctant to venture outside while Six feared this 'beast' he had drawn.

Eight wasn't afraid, but seemed uninterested in the grunt work involved in scouting. The twins were out of the question. They were as curious as could be, but could not go out without an escort. They were too small and defenseless to properly scout quickly and they got distracted by the smallest things. Two was almost like the twins, being that he was small and couldn't fight very well or flee very easily.

This left the job to Seven. Which was fine, as Seven loved the job. Scouting was the one place where she felt like she was a part of the society they created in the cathedral. Most of the time Seven hadn't had much to do. While the others had various hobbies, Seven stood out as the one without a direct path. Most of her time was devoted to assisting the others, but she had yet to find something that she wanted to devote her life to.

It was these days of scouting that really gave her a feeling of success. In these moments, she felt like she found what she was made to do. Every overturned rock was a secret; every road not taken was an adventure. While the Stitchpunks seemed fine with it, One made his feelings clear.

"One of these days," he forewarned in one rather heated argument, "you are going to get in over your head. Then you will wish you would have listened to my warnings."

Seven didn't take One's words to heart, because she knew what she was doing. "If I didn't go out, then we wouldn't get supplies," she reminded. "Or you would have Two and Five going out to get them. It's easier that I go on my own."

"Very well…" In this one instance, One had caved and agreed. "Then keep an eye out and keep your guard up. We don't know where the beast is lurking." He had averted his sharp optics.

"Hey…" Seven began. Her voice grew gentler towards the older Stitchpunk. As much of a tyrant as One could be, he did occasionally have these moments of something deeper. It was obvious that beneath this tough exterior, there was genuine fear beneath it. "I'll be fine. I know how to get home."

It was hard not to remember this conversation in peculiar. This exchange, which seemed like just one of many, would stay in Seven's mind for years to come.

It was supposed to be a normal scouting trip. Seven was sent out on her own with a mental list of things to look for. Thread, buttons, seed packets, and red fabric were just some of the objects that she was asked to look for and bring back. Even One had asked for her to bring back something for him, being the red fabric, so she took this as his agreement to letting her go. Which only made her more confident in what she was doing.

The Emptiness was quieter than usual. The usual sound of wind was more muted than normally and left the world uncomfortably silent. Seven still felt comfortable enough to continue further through the world. She was approaching the city's main plaza, hoping to find a cluster of abandoned shops to scour through, when the silence was suddenly interrupted.

A soft clattering came from the roof of one of the closer buildings. Seven flinched back and dropped behind an abandoned tire to keep an eye out. When the noise stayed silent, Seven assumed that it was just a crumbling building faltering at random. It wasn't too unheard of, naturally, so she stepped out and continued her trek. This time, however, she stayed closer to cover instead of out in broad daylight. After all, the Beast could be lurking anywhere.

Seven had seen the Beast herself once in the past, but what she recognized the most was the terrifying sketch that Six had drew. Which One had since mounted on a board and proclaimed as the reason that they had to stay hidden in the sanctuary. If it wasn't for the Beast, Seven would've been more outspoken about the importance of leaving the Cathedral, but there was no denying the creature's dangerousness.

This was why Seven had decided that evasion and speed was more resourceful than fighting. As of now, all she had on her that resembled a weapon was a small knife, and it was only useful for cutting small, unimportant things that got in her way. Keeping close to the shops' outer walls meant that there was one side she didn't need to be watching out for. Honestly, it seemed to work out better than she had expected.

After scouring two of the possible buildings, she had found only a spool of thread and some maroon fabric. Determined to continue, she decided to continue her search further on, as these buildings seemed to be ransacked. The smartest way to do this seemed to be crossing through the alley. It would be quicker and, in theory, safer than circling around the outside of the plaza.

Only a few feet down the alley and Seven was starting to regret this decision. The alleyway was cold and a dampness seemed to hang on the air, one that almost saturated her own fabric. Shaking off the uneasy feeling, Seven continued down towards the end, but came to an abrupt stop at a nearby crumbling noise. This time she doubted it was a fluke; something was definitely out here with her.

Then, suddenly, something heavy dropped down from a roof and landed into a nearby garbage can. It was heavy enough that the can tipped over, and spilled trash and rubble along the alleyway floor. Seven gasped and spun around to face the tipping can, backing away as she did so. There was nowhere to hide in the alleyway, other than the can itself, and she was out in plain sight. She took a few testing steps back as she watched the can wobble around. Then, slowly slinking its way out of the can, her stalker revealed itself.

From the red eye that stared directly into her soul, to the long claws that scraped the ground, she recognized the form of the beast. More specifically, the Cat Beast that stalked the Emptiness. Without a moments haste, she spun and began to sprint down the remainder of the alley. It was quick and its shadow soon fell upon her as it swiped out. But Seven was quick; she slid on the wet ground, pressing her body to the concrete, and barely dodged the lethal sweep from the claws. Then she rolled, regained footing, and dashed out onto the next street.

The Cat Beast skidded in from behind. She could hear its metal and bone grind against the concrete as it kept up. Then it swiped downwards, its claw dropping to try and pin her. She saw its shadow at the last moment and dove out of the way to another sideways roll, followed up with a backwards handspring, and stood to her feet to tear off down the street. Any of the buildings would be acceptable if she could just avoid the Cat Beast.

Unfortunately for Seven, her luck ran out in one sudden, horrible moment.

The Cat Beast swiped faster than Seven could dodge. The strength behind the hit was remarkable. It was so strong, so sharp, that her backpack was torn off of her back and thrown aside. Immediately pain pulsed through her back and she knew that he fabric had been torn. Down, but not out, she forced herself to stand, but wasn't quick enough.

A heaviness hit her in the back and shoved her to the ground. It was only one a vice tightened around her waist that she realized the Cat Beast was biting her. Her back throbbed and she could already imagine the teeth tearing through her fabric. However, while the mouth bit down further, tightening just enough that one of her arms was trapped against her side. But it didn't continue to bite down as she expected. She thought it was going to destroy her body if it caught her.

Instead, it raised its head upwards and Seven was left dangling in its grasp. Seven choked at the pressure on her back as she tried to pry herself out with her free arm. The Cat Beast wouldn't budge on its tighten grip on her and began to sprint off into the Emptiness. Her findings were abandoned, but they were ignored. More so, she found herself concerned about where exactly she was being taken to, but with the pain it wasn't long before her body gave out.

Seven came to a short while later. She looked upwards just in time to see the looming building that they were approaching. Black smokestacks reached to the sky, now dormant after years of spilling smoke, and everything was much too silent. Even more silent than before, even with the beast carrying her in its mouth. It was the machine factory, abandoned by time, forbidden by One's many 'rules'.

The inside of the factory was pitch dark and for a few moments Seven was left in a sort of limbo. It wasn't until they reached the main room, which was much larger than she could've ever imagined in her head. Light poured through a large hole that was broken into the roof. The Cat Beast carried her only a little further. It climbed a mound of metal scrap and bits before ending at a single bird cage. Out of everything destroyed in the world, a single bird cage sat waiting for her. Almost immediately she knew what it was going to do.

It wasn't possible that a beast could plan something like this in advance. Or, at least, that's what she had always thought. Yet as it tipped back the bird cage and dropped her inside, she wondered if it had arranged this specifically for her. After all, she was the only Stitchpunk who wandered out in the Emptiness. She landed heavily in the bird cage and the Cat Beast secured the door with a piece of bent wire. Then it watched her. Its red eye studied as she lifted herself into a sitting position, pushed back to the opposite side, and glared defiantly.

It hovered by the bird cage for hours. It would go between watching her and simply laying alongside the cage, relaxing in a semi-sleeping state. During this time, Seven's options were limited. She could try to escape while it was watching and, even if she did try, she didn't know if she could. The bird cage was in good condition and the wire looked strong. Meanwhile, the only thing that she had with her was the what was already in the bird cage. Bones and feathers littered the bottom of the cage; the remains of some sort of bird long ago.

She worried about the others. There was no doubt that the other Stitchpunks would have trouble getting past the Cat Beast. Seven's only idea was that she could make a distraction and hope that the Beast would pay attention. Yet the longer she waited, the more concerned she grew.

" _Even if Two finds my things behind the plaza, how will he know that it brought me here?"_ Seven didn't know what worried her more; them not finding her or them finding her and being attacked. Two and Five were smart enough to put together that a machine would bring them to the factory, but she didn't know if they would be able to fight the beast off. Maybe Eight could; One would probably send Eight with them to be safe.

In the meantime, she distracted herself with the bones. The skull was fully intact and, while morbid, was a remarkable remainder of the beautiful creature. _"I can't remember the last time I saw a bird in flight… I wonder if they still exist out there. Maybe they all perished in cages like this one."_ She shuddered and then hissed when it irritated her back. She didn't dare to reach back and feel over her wound, not when she wouldn't be getting it stitched for a questionable amount of time. It would just make her even more aware of her position.

As the hours passed, hope grew and waned. Sometimes she would think that she heard them, only to realize that it was the shuffling coming from the Cat Beast moving around. The sun waned and darkness slowly started to fill the factory. By time the sun fully set, she had become certain that they wouldn't find her. Exhausted and cold, she clutched the remaining feathers to her body and laid in the darkness. Eventually she fell asleep, but it was a light, unfulfilling sleep.

Dawn came slowly and Seven opened her optics to see the few rays of light pouring in. She pushed her stiff body upwards and looked around at the factory, searching for the Cat Beast. There was no sign of it.

" _This is it,"_ Seven forewarned herself. _"This is my only chance."_

She felt through the bones and settled on the one that seemed the firmest. Bird bones weren't exactly strong, but she hoped that one of them would hold well enough to help her. Once she settled on one, she slipped it under the first part of the wire and began to pry at it. Slowly, the wire began to lift, agonizingly slowly. It raised further from the door, looking around the bar, and-.

The bone broke and Seven lost her best chance at a tool.

In a panic, Seven started to look around for another possible solution. It was now that she spotted something laying on the metal mound just outside her cage. It was long, flat, and metal, and would obviously be a stronger leveraging tool. _"This will be perfect,"_ she thought as she knelt down and reached out for it. _"If I can reach it."_ She would lean in closer and her back would hurt enough to cause her to briefly seize, causing her to stop in her movements.

By time Seven had managed to control her pain enough to brush her fingers over the metal item, she was alerted to the sound of movement from somewhere else in the factory. Obviously, it was the Cat Beast returning and Seven reluctantly moved away from the tool and sat in the center of the bird cage. The escape would have to wait until the Cat Beast left again.

As the day before, the Cat Beast spent a majority of its time circling the cage. Unlike the day before, it spent less time doing this. It already seemed to grasp that Seven would be spending most of her time sitting there and doing nothing, so it moved around its den doing whatever it was that it did. It seemed to be searching for something. Seven didn't really care what it was searching for.

There was something excruciating about the second night. Seven was again left in darkness, but she was restless, and had become more determined that her escape would only be through her own means. She didn't know why the others hadn't figured out where she was, but she had a suspicion that she needed to take matters into her own hands. She spent the night working the metal piece closer.

By morning, the metal object was right beside her and she waited for the Cat Beast to leave the factory. It watched her, it wandered around, and a few hours after sunrise it left for the Emptiness, leaving Seven finally alone. She could finally make the move to escape. Tugging the metal piece through the bars of the cage, she now realized that it was an old clock hand. There weren't any clocks in the nearby vicinity, but she didn't care enough to question it. Instead, Seven headed over to the door and wedged the clock hand under the wire.

Slowly but surely, Seven began to force the wire off and slowly unwound it from its hold on the door. With a final shove, the wire popped off and the door swung open. She was finally free; after two long nights in this cold, damp factory, Seven was finally free. She knew the Cat Beast would return and knew that she needed to escape, and only faltered long enough to grab the bird skull and some of the feathers. She would find something to do with them later. Naturally, she also brought the clock hand, unwilling to let her only tool go.

Unlike what Seven was expecting, she didn't see any trace of the Cat Beast on the long trek back to the Cathedral, except a few footprints here or there. Her back throbbed with every step, but she was determined to get back to the others. Between periods of pain she would attempt to run, only to slow down when it became too much for her rattled body. It almost seemed too good to be true; she expected the Cat Beast to appear around any corner, ready to capture her and return her to the factory, but it didn't.

Then the Cathedral came into sight. In one brilliant moment, she was staring upwards at her salvation, which crept closer with every step. She quickened her pace as she closed in on the front doors. When she slipped through the small gap left between the doors, there was a form of relief. Finally, she was out of the grasp of the Cat Beast, and it couldn't follow after her where she was going.

…But she didn't feel free. She didn't understand why, but she didn't feel free.

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 **Mable: The next chapter should be posted tomorrow unless the weather gets to me. I've been losing internet on and off for the last few days, and it looked like tornado weather just a few hours ago. I doubt that I won't get a window of some kind to post. XD I hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Act 2

**Mable: It took a little longer than I was expected to get this chapter wrapped up, but I'm glad I invested the extra time. I don't own 9, Enjoy!**

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 _ **Caged Birds**_

 _Act 2_

Seven threw all caution and soreness to the wind as she sprinted the last leg of the journey; relishing in the numbness that came from her own over-eagerness. For a short time, she felt more frantic than in pain, and she used this to hurry through the Cathedral and burst into the Workshop. Two and Five were there, thankfully, as Seven's body immediately gave out.

Maybe it was from relief, but Seven suddenly felt every ounce of exhaustion and agony. She shuddered and dropped all the items that she had carried with her, then stumbled against the cot. She just managed to hold herself up with her grip on the medical cot. Thankfully it itself was secure; if it had rolled on its wheels then she suspected she would've felt the full force of the floor.

"Seven!" Five blurted out in alarm as he rushed in. "Where were you?! We were- You're- You're hurt!" Naturally, the apprentice was a flustered mess the moment he saw how torn the fabric on Seven's back was. "Your number…"

"Lay down on your side," Two instructed. He went right into the mindset of healer and worriedly assisted her onto the cot. She allowed herself to go limp and let Five and Two go to work. The Inventor had sedated her with the magnet so quickly that she barely remembered it. She blacked out into an empty sleep.

When Seven awoke she was both sore and stiff, but already felt marginally better. Her back didn't feel open any longer, but there was a dull throb that only could suggest that she had either been sewn or patched. From the sheer size of the throbbing area, she expected a patch, and she had a suspicion that her number was probably beyond saving. She expected it to bother her more than she truly did. Dazed, she looked over to see Two working on something at the workbench. Most likely, he stayed to watch her while Five went to inform the others.

"Two?" Seven's voice crackled uncomfortably. She pushed herself off the cot and started to swing her legs over. Two's head shot upwards and he reached out to stop her.

"No, wait, don't stand up," Two forewarned. He then sprung off his stool and hurried over. "There's nowhere else you need to be. You should let yourself rest."

Seven agreed with a nod and instead let her legs dangle over the side. Then, with a tired sigh, she asked the quiet question of, "What happened?" With anything, really. With any attempts to save her, with them stitching her; anything was a viable question. Her mind was heavy but clouded.

Two sent her a sympathetic smile. "You've been asleep for a few hours. We were able to save a bit of your number, but you did need a patch. You will probably be feeling sore for a few days." Indeed, Two would know. He had been patched at least once in the past. "Five is still in the Sanctuary, but he should be back any moment…" It was then that Two's face fell. There was guilt and fear on his features, two things that Seven seldom saw on the older Stitchpunk's face. "I… Were you at the Factory?"

Of course, Two knew where she was. "Yes. The Beast took me there," Seven admitted quietly as she looked over towards the workbench. She noticed the bird skull sitting untouched. "I was locked in a bird cage. That's why I came back with the skull and feathers; they were in the bird cage with me."

"Creator, a bird cage…" There was the continued guilt on his face. "I… I'm so sorry. We should've come for you. I- We searched around the closer areas of the city, but we-…" His voice cut off and he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Don't blame yourself, Two. If you would've come to the factory then the Beast would've caught you too," Seven assured. Maybe she wished that they would've all come for her, but she wasn't about to let Two take that blame alone. Two was already the only reason they all worked together so well. "You had no way of knowing where I was." Two shook his head; she didn't know if he was agreeing or disagreeing with what she said.

"I feared the worst…" Two took a step forward and pulled Seven into a gentle hug, even as she was sitting, keeping his arm low enough to not touch her new patch. Normally, Seven wasn't the most physically affectionate of the Stitchpunks, but Two was the exception to the rule. She eagerly hugged him back, feeling nothing but joy in the fact that she could hold him again.

It was about this time when the curtain was drawn back and Five stepped in. Two looked over with a smile. "Ah! Speak of the Stitchpunk!" Both concerned and relieved, Five stepped forward.

"You're awake! I knew as soon as I left- H-How are you feeling? Any pain?" Five fussily asked. He certainly took this after Two.

"I'll live," Seven remarked with a tiny smile. It was a good thing Five returned when he did. There was something that Two wasn't saying and Seven knew she would be able to get it out of the one eyed male.

"We were so worried. You've been gone before, but you've never been gone that long. Now we know you… Weren't just scouting…" Five's face filled with dread as he dared to ask more. "It… The Beast didn't hurt you too much, I hope?" It was an awkward question, but it was Five, so it made sense.

"Once it put me in the cage, it didn't do anything other than stare at me. Don't worry yourself about it. I'm alright now." She slid off the cot and testing standing. "I need to stretch my legs a bit. I won't go too far, Two." Two gave a disagreeing frown at the idea. "Just maybe to the bucket lift. Five, would you come with me? Just in case I'm not as secure on my feet as I thought I was."

Five seemed surprised, but didn't question it or turn her down. Instead, he stepped out of the workshop and wandered along with the limping Stitchpunk.

"If you need to take my arm…" Five began without finishing. He didn't need to as she knew what he was leading into already.

"Thank you, but I'm alright," Seven assured. Then, once they were out of Two's hearing range, she turned to the one-eyed male with firmness in her optics. "Alright, what happened?"

"What?" Five asked in confusion. "With what?"

"Two's upset about something. What happened while I was gone?" Seven demanded a bit further. She watched as the male rubbed his arm and looked to the floor; equal guilt in his gaze.

"We're all just… Upset that we couldn't find you," Five excused. This wasn't good enough for Seven.

"What really happened? Two said he knew I was at the factory and I know Two would've gone there to find me," Seven pointed out. She couldn't help but be blunt. "Why didn't anyone go after me?"

"Well, you know… The rules…" Five murmured. Then his guilt took ahold of him and the words tumbled out. "Two wanted to go after you. I did too. We would've come for you… But One wasn't- One was tight on the rules. He wouldn't let us go." The male allowed himself to vent. "He was just saying that you couldn't be there, that you were probably going to be back any day, and he wouldn't listen to anything Two was-…" It was only then that he cut off. Then, when he saw Seven's face, he cut off to silence.

Seven looked only moderately surprised. More so, her face was stuck in a somewhat neutral look more than anything. This empty look, unable to show any defined emotion, already revealed much about how she was reacting to the news at hand.

"Now you know me, I don't usually argue with One. I know he probably just… He wants to protect us," Five defended. "But I- and Two- we wanted to go find you. We would've too if One didn't step in."

"How… How could he even…?" Seven couldn't even say anything further. Her brows furrowed in an angry glint. "But I should've expected this, shouldn't I? One's always so obsessed with his dozens of rules."

Five knew she was mostly talking with herself, but only became more concerned by her reaction. "I'm sorry," he managed to get out without a stutter or a hesitation. He followed by reaching out and laying his hand on her shoulder. "I really am."

"It's not your fault, Five," Seven assured him. "But I'll have to have some firm words with One." Before she could fully even turn in the direction of the bucket lift, she was abruptly stopped.

"No, no. Stop," Five nearly commanded. "I know you're upset, but you need to rest yourself longer. As a healer, I won't just- I can't let you do this. You'll only strain yourself further." As much as Seven wanted to argue, she knew he was right, and she knew he was confident by how assured he was in his words. He was correct; she needed her time to rest. Reluctantly, without a further word, she gave a tired sigh and turned to head back towards the Workshop.

They said nothing about the conversation to Two. He already had enough to worry about and Seven was too confused to make much of her feelings. From what Five said, it sounded like One had actively stopped the others from coming to get her.

" _I could've been home yesterday. I could already be recovered and doing something better with my time,"_ Seven bitterly lamented. _"Who is he to demand for Two and Five to just do nothing?! He could've easily sent Eight! Could he not spare Eight for a single afternoon?!"_ And what hurt the most was that she did need the help. She managed to escape on her own, but it was an unnecessary struggle that could've been avoided. Oh yes, she had a few words for One.

Usually Seven got restless easily, but with her body as tired as it was Seven felt no urge to run about. Save confronting One, but she knew that neither Two nor Five would let her get that riled just yet. She drifted in and out of napping when Two and Five entered and left at will. For a short time, she was alone in the workshop.

This period of being alone didn't last long. It wasn't too long before she was alerted to the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. She just managed to sit upwards when Three and Four hurried in. They brought a smile to her face. "Hey, you two. What took you so long?" Seven greeted warmly.

The twins eagerly scurried to her side and tried to hug her. Though she noticed that they wouldn't reach around her, so there was no doubt that Five forewarned them of her injury. They were still just as affectionate as ever. The twins were different than the others; for some remarkable reason, they saw Seven as much more of a motherly figure than anything else, and clung to her accordingly. While Seven wouldn't consider herself the motherly type, she was sweet on the twins.

"They couldn't wait to see you, but Two wanted to make sure you were up to visitors first," Five pointed out with an awkward smile. He watched the warm reuniting of the three Stitchpunks. "Feeling better?"

"Much better. Especially now that I have these two to wake me up," Seven remarked with a small chuckle. The twins finally pulled back and looked to her attentively. "I'm going to be down here a bit longer to rest up, so I don't want you two worrying about me. I'm doing just fine." No, she was avoiding One until she was ready to fully confront him.

Over at the wall, Five looked at the clock hand the female had brought back. "What were you thinking of using this for?" While there was genuine curiosity, Seven could tell that Five was also interested in the clock hand. Unfortunately for whatever plans he had, Seven wasn't ready to give up the object that had spared her from the birdcage.

"I was actually considering making it into a weapon. Perhaps a sort of lance or spear, like Two's." The twins tilted their heads before turning their interest on the clock hand. They rushed over to Five's side and began to eagerly 'catalog' the object. They didn't get much to catalog that was new, so they would take any opportunity that they could. Seven couldn't help but wish that she could give them more. "There's a bird skull on the workbench too, you two." They looked to her, looked towards the bird skull, and hurried off.

"I don't think that would be hard to make at all! If you'd like some help…" Five suggested as he lightly wrung his hands.

"I'd prefer to make it myself, but I wouldn't mind a few tips from someone whose spent more time around Two's lance." Seven didn't mind asking for a little assistance, but she didn't want Five doing it for her, and she knew he would. It was obvious for a while now that Five was soft on her and Seven, while she did care deeply for him, she wasn't ready for anything more than that. Thankfully, Five didn't make strong advances. "I might use the skull for something too. It's too beautiful to be kept as a trophy." Five nodded in agreement.

Though before she could even begin thinking about that, she had unfinished business. With her back feeling better and her feeling more rested, she decided that she would take advantage of the twins being down here instead of in the Sanctuary, where they could hear her.

"I'm going to stretch my legs again. Five, keep an eye on the twins until I get back, please," Seven announced as she climbed off of the cot. She started towards the curtain, trying to ignore the light discomfort that still followed along with each footstep.

"No problem! Don't go far!" Five responded with a chirp. He then directed his attention to the twins, so he didn't suspect a thing as the female Stitchpunk headed to the lift.

Turning the crank was much more painful than Seven had expected. Not enough to stop her, but enough to give her a cinched feeling in her back. The ride lasted longer than usual and she felt much more wound down by time she stepped into the throne room. Though her determination was rekindled when her optics fell on One and she headed straight for him.

One was standing at the curtain that blocked off Six's cubby. The artist was trying to show him some sort of sketch, forewarning of something that was coming, but immediately looked over towards Seven as she approached. Maybe he noticed her glare as he suddenly looked somewhat fearful and took a step back.

"One," Seven announced herself. The leader turned abruptly, not expecting her and not hearing her approach.

"I see you've recovered," One remarked. He acted as though nothing was wrong. "Very good. I'm assuming that Two gave you a list of instructions to care for whatever he did."

"He did," Seven remarked. Then she decided to go in for the kill, "And he also said that he knew where I was."

"He had his suspicions about the beast," One remarked. "It seems that he was correct." He hung his head, but she didn't believe the gesture. One was a brilliant actor, but his sincerity was his greatest weakness.

"He knew I was at the factory, One. Why didn't anyone go after me?" She stopped him before he could interrupt, "And it wasn't by his own decision. It was by yours. I know you stopped anyone from coming."

Once again, One was ready to defend himself. "We had no concrete evidence to suggest that you would be there, and it's simply too dangerous to go out there without some assurance. There is a reason that I have forbid us going there. It came down to the means of the many verses the _chance_ that you may be there."

"If that was the case, then you could have sent Eight," Seven snapped back. "You claim that you doubted I was there, then you would've doubted that the beast would've been there too."

"I do not appreciate your scolding tone," One pointed out with a narrowing of his optics. "You have been through much, but I am your leader- you should respect me as such."

"I don't appreciate being abandoned!" Seven lost control of her volume. "And how dare you say this after I was out there looking on your own request! Looking for everyone's supplies! How can I respect you when your leadership doesn't reach outside of the Sanctuary?!"

"That is enough!" One brought his staff down on the floor. With a thump and the jingle of a bell, he attempted to punctuate whatever point he was intending on making. Six disappeared into his cubby while Eight watched with his own disturbance at the fight. "You will not speak to me in such a manner. You have no right to be angry at me when you let yourself be captured."

"Let myself-?!" Seven was cut off before she could continue.

"And furthermore, I think this is a good example of why we shouldn't be scouting out in that unpredictable wasteland!" One snapped right back at the female. "I have been warning you and warning you that this would happen, but you ignored every word, and now you want to blame me?!"

"I'm not angry that it happened, One! I'm angry that Two and Five were willing to come for me- I know Eight would've gone-," she cut off and pointed to Eight, who almost flinched back at the motion. "And yet you refused to let them go! I spent two nights trapped by the beast; if I hadn't have freed myself, how long would you have let me stay there?!" Her anger boiled over at how unsympathetic and haughty the leader dared to be. His smugness leaked out with every word and the intense fight broke down to one frenzied cry.

"You act like such a caring leader, but when it gets time to act you hide away! You hide like a coward!" Seven's voice then dropped dangerously low, "You have not earned your title as leader." It was at this point that Eight finally stepped in, literally. He started to put himself between the two as a sort of defensive barrier to block them from each other. He could see this as going disastrously terrible rather quickly.

One straightened himself to full height. "Leadership is not my choice, it is my birthright. I did not decide to be leader, but I have proven myself worthy by keeping everyone alive. How dare you think that you have any right to judge my decisions when you waste your own on foolish matters!" He caught himself and affixed his voice again. He refused to continue the fight, as though him stopping said fight would guarantee victory.

"This conversation is over. Eight, take her back to the workshop. She has obviously gone mad from her injury; make certain that Two keeps her down there until she comes back to her senses," One haughtily commanded. Of course, he would add in a final insult before turning and striding to his throne.

In a way, Seven could barely believe how he was acting. He gave no indication that he cared in the slightest and was now forcing her to leave, as though she was the issue. As though he hadn't wanted her to return at all. She sent a defiant glare at Eight, "I can leave without an escort. Trust me, I won't be coming back any time soon." With that defiant remark, she turned and stormed to the bucket lift. She would rather stay down in the workshop then stay near One for even a moment.

Yet as she entered the bucket lift, Eight slipped in behind her. She sent him a glare as he passed and took ahold of the crank. Naturally the guard would still insist on coming. Most likely to avoid One's incoming tantrum once he thought she was out of earshot. Eight usually was the recipient of the older Stitchpunk's raving rants, but it only made Seven feel more subverted that he forced himself onto the lift. She crossed her arms, stood against the edge, and watched as they slowly started to lower into the Cathedral yet again.

And she was still furious. She hated it, she hated feeling like this, but she was. One had basically said that she wasn't worth saving and didn't even try showing any form of remorse. She knew he was stubborn and self-centered, but she had never thought that his loyalty would waver how it did. She looked upwards at the guard who was guiding the crank and lowering the bucket down slowly.

"What say you, Eight?" Seven asked mistrustfully. "Would you have come for me if Two did?" There was no immediate answer. "Answer me, Eight. I want to know."

"Don't make me do that," Eight answered back. "I ain't taking a side. I'm not that stupid."

"You don't need to take a side, I just want you to be honest," Seven insisted a bit more firmly. She wanted to hear what he would say.

"…I don't know." Yet she knew what this meant. This was Eight's way of saying 'yes' without getting himself into a jam with One. He would've gone as well. Almost immediately following this, Seven fell into silence.

Five and the twins met Seven at the bottom of the lift. All three of them looked confused and concerned, especially Five who had no idea that she would sneak up into the Sanctuary. "Where did you go? I thought you were just…"

"I'm fine," Seven cut off a bit shortly. "I just needed to see One." They were all staring and she was too frustrated to stand it for long. "If you excuse me, I need a moment alone."

With that, she briskly continued towards the workshop. Three went to follow, but was stopped by Four's hand. They then held each other as they worried over the pale Stitchpunk's departure. Five sent a questioning look to Eight, who averted his gaze and began to raise the lift back up towards the Sanctuary.

While Seven expected to feel better about coming home, she felt anything but. If anything, she still felt like the birdcage was still there, surrounding her, suffocating her. As though she had just stepped out of one and into a slightly larger one.

She could barely stand it.

* * *

 **Mable: I'll keep this brief because I'd like to post as soon as I can, but the third and final act will be posted in a couple of days. I'm going to try and give it a little more time, considering that it's arguably the most important act. ^-^ I hope you enjoyed!**


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